News

University gives sleeping classes

GLASGOW University is to run a series of night classes for insomniacs, aimed at giving people a greater understanding of why they have difficulty sleeping.

Clinical psychologists at the university’s Sleep Research Laboratory will next month launch the first night-school course in how to sleep using techniques that have scored a high success rate.

Insomnia is a growing issue in the UK, where about 1m people regularly take sleeping pills. Young professionals are prime sufferers, with long working hours and irregular sleep patterns acting as triggers.

“Nowadays, we see a lot of people with a stressed lifestyle,” said Professor Colin Espie, author of Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems and director of the university’s sleep laboratory.

“Epidemiological studies show that 8%-12% of the adult population have a diagnosis of a sleep disorder, and 20%-25% have a complaint about their sleep.”